In the final scene of the play/movie, there are a few dramatic elements which I found to be quite interesting. After Yalena and the professor left for their new life, three different characters entered the scene and declared "They're Gone" to which there is never a reply. Also, after the doctor left, two separate characters declared "He's Gone." What is Chechov trying to do with this element? I am wondering if anyone else noticed the same thing and might have an explanation for it, for it seems far too coincidental to be presented in this play. - PSp-c
I noticed this line at the end. Every single person would reply "they're gone." Even though they may have heard it earlier, they still felt that it was necessary to reiterate the fact that the guests were gone. I was trying to make sense of this and here is my explanation. This whole experience with the professor, the doctor, Vanya, etc. has been very hectic. Over the course of a few months there has been love, heart break, anger, happiness, sadness, stress, and confusion. Almost every emotion under the sun has been dealt with by these characters. In the end, all of the guests have left and I believe that each time a character exclaimed that "they're gone," they were trying to reassure themselves that they were actually gone. They have seen and talked with this people for a few months and now all of the drama has left. They needed to tell themselves that it is over, they have gone. Perhaps by telling themselves that the guests have gone they feel as though they can return to their lives and continue as before. - szd-c Mar 10, 2008
I think the reason for the repetition of this particular line is that they are simply trying to take in the fact that their lives are back on track again, and they are rid of the people that the professor called decay. Also, I think the repetition is simply because they are happy because all they did while the doctor and everyone else was there was argue, lust, get angry, and simply just lose it. "They're gone" serves a similar purpose as the sound of the string breaking in The Cherry Orchard; it represents the end of a time that made little or no sense and caused a general unhappiness. Vanya and his mother represent the serfs that are now moving their way on up, but it was not possible until Alexander and his wife left. When three characters mentioned they were gone, they realized that this could possibly be a new beginning- MSu-c Mar 10, 2008
These words were very obvious at the end. I think this was one part that was helped by the movie. Seeing it performed rather than reading the play allowed us to see a little deeper into the characters. If this was only written, I might not have picked up on the repetition. We were able to see the emotion, or lack there of, behind the actors when they said these words. I think the point of this was to emphasize the return to their previous lifestyle. However, the reason they said this without any response from others or any excitement behind it was because their previous life was hardly any better. Sure, their life is going back to normal, but as we've seen through the whole movie, that isn't anything they're excited about. - kec-c Mar 10, 2008
I definately noticed this and found it quite funny and started laughing (and being disruptive) when they all kept saying "they're gone." I know it wasn't intended to be humorous, but all the repetition was enought to get me laughing and make sarcastic jokes like "Are they gone?" "I can't tell if they are gone yet." "Will someone please let me know if they left yet!" Yea... I think I was just plain disruptive.
All joking aside, I agree with all that was said about returning to the past and the connection to the string breaking, but I also think it was said because there was nothing else to say. All of a sudden things were different with them gone and it was that awkward well-what-do-we-do-now? It's like in a conversation, when the flow gets disruptive or just stops suddenly there's an awkward silence and you (at least I do) end up asking the person how they are doing for about the third time. These characters didn't exactly know what to do or how to react. They didn't even know how to react to what each other was saying. The easiest thing to do was state a fact--They're Gone. - adi-c Mar 10, 2008
Well, the point it started getting redundant for me was when Sonya says that the doctor had gone. As the doctor makes the rounds as he is about to leave, Sonya knows that she is going to have to part from him. She handles it better than I thought she would considering how long and with what intensity she obsessed over him. But once he leaves the room before the sleigh bells jingle signaling his departure, all eyes are on Sonya (as the doctor had hurt them both, but more directly Sonya), and she gets up and leaves the room. That time of all times would be the moment to let emotions loose, and one can see the thoughts rising in her mind and realization striking that there in that moment was a crucial opportunity to affect change...and... Lost. He's gone. Same thing happens to Vanya with both the professor and Yelena. Lost opportunity.
MSu says that their statements imply the realization that they can start a new life, but the doctor clearly negates that option when talking to Vanya. "We can not start anew" says the doctor. Why is this? Because of all the lost opportunity? Because they allow the people to leave? They're too nice to stand up for themselves, or perhaps just too weak? - KLe-c Mar 11, 2008
This part in the movie also greatly bothered me too because it seemed completely redundant. Why did I have to hear that they were gone four times? As I try to think of a reason for this, I am drawing a blank. I really cannot think of a solid reason as to why they would do this. However, it also did bother me about how the doctor says that they cannot start a new life. In response to KLe's questions, I think that their lack of action is the reason they cannot start over. Why didn't Sonya chase after the doctor and stop him? She did leave but came back with no sign of emotion. Where were the emotions in that pivotal scene? The most I got were from the doctor to Yelena. Was this just how they acted it, or was it the way it was supposed to be written? - ptr-c Mar 11, 2008
Personally, and I might not be the best judge, I did not think that they were very good actors/actresses in the first place. They did not do the whole emotional thing very well. I think that Sophie's crying at the end when everyone was fighting definitely seemed kind of forced. It was like they were doing some kind of soap opera at points, but didn't quite cut it. That sounds harsh, but to give them more credit, I think a lot of it was because they were acting a play that was inside a movie. Because, when I watch a play, I know that they are supposed to be acting very dramatic (loud and over-the-top) to get the idea across to everyone sitting at different places in the audience, but when I watch movies I do not expect them same type of acting. In films, because the camera shows the audience only what they need to see, the acting is far more realistic. I believe that it was the combination of both that made me criticize the acting. Any thoughts on this? - cdu-c Mar 11, 2008
Cdu, I agree that the woman who played Sophie was a bad actor, but the rest of the actors did a good job. Back to the subject of this forum, the repetition of the statement "They're Gone" was done by Chekov to illustrate that the consequences for the departing to depart were two-fold. As stated earlier, the professor leaving certainly brought some happiness to the characters, specifically Uncle Vanya who received the estate, but now, let us consider the effect of the other characters' departures. Yelena's departure is obviously a major loss for the Doctor, Sophia, and Vanya: Vanya and the Doctor both felt new life in trying to seduce Yelena while Sonya found Yelena to be a caring and trustworthy friend who tried, unsuccessfully, to help Sonya court the Doctor. Furthermore, the departure of the Doctor, at least for the winter, leaves a strain on Sonya, who wanted romance with him. Thus, all in all the departure of these three characters yields an overall depressing ending, signified by the rather toneless statement, "They're Gone" because even though Uncle Vanya got land, he, Sonya, and the Doctor all had their opportunities for romance, their opportunities for truly living, extinguished.- TMc-c Mar 11, 2008
I actually liked how each of the characters repeated the same lines - I thought it gave great insight to each of the characters' ways of thinking and their emotions. If you payed close attention, you could hear that each character repeated the line in a different tone and with different emotions. For example, it seemed to me that Sonya's reply sounded sad, while Nanny seemed more excited to be rid of them. The same goes for when the doctor left - each person had different emotions at the time. - MBe-c Mar 11, 2008
This repetition was sort of annoying because you were like OK THEY'RE GONE!!! But actually I agree with MBe that the tone was crucial in the way each character said it. Sonya was saddened that her father and stepmother abannoned her, but almost relieved yet slightly saddened when the Doctor left. Uncle Vanya lost the only real women that actually paid attention to him and made him feel alive, but also at the same time he no longer had to deal with the Professor. The character I believe were mostly bittersweet about the situation. Ones they admired or loved left them, but then again they were able to start fresh after the removal of the Professor, Sonya, and the Doctor. Thus, there is that glimmer of hope that keeps them from breaking down. Why does no one really cry at the two departures? Maybe because no one is truly, deep down sad. Maybe because most of them are actually happy to see the conflicting parties leave. Any comments? - kva-c Mar 12, 2008
kva, I agree with you. I was really annoyed by the multiple comments of "They're gone" first of all, but I also agree that they don't seem very truly sad about them leaving. When all those people came to the estate, the lives of Vanya, Sonya, and the nurse/nanny/maid/whatever were totally turned upside down. Chaos became their lives. When they all said "They're gone", it seemed to me to be a breath of fresh air, in a sense. A sort of verbal expression of an internal "sigh of relief". I got the feeling like Chekhov repeated it so many times to emphasize their relief at the parties' departures. Thoughts? Agree? Disagree? - mmi-c Mar 12, 2008
I think that the repeated "they're gone's" was important to the end of the play--they repeated it because they were reluctant to see the professor and Yelena leave. They didn't want to believe it; it's kind of like pinching yourself to make sure you're not dreaming--I think they kept saying it because they couldn't really believe it was happening and they didn't know how to pick up where they left off. It seemed like they kept saying it to put off that moment when real life begins again. I think the repetition of the phrase is mainly to emphasize the point that everything is over; a comparison was made to the string breaking in The Cherry Orchard, and I find these events to be similar. They both signify the end of something that was special for the family. - dru-c Mar 12, 2008 I didn't really see much meaningful significance in this repetition. It just reminded me of other times both in Uncle Vanya and the Cherry Orchard in which characters seemed to state the obvious. This just seems to be part of Chekov's style. He is often criticized for this. The characters just seem to come right our and say what the audience needs to know. Although this made it easier to understand what is going on it is also very unrealistic. I don't think that too many people would continue to repeat the fact that someone has left. It seems pretty obvious. I think that Chekov used the repetition as a signal for the end of the play. It gave the ending a very permanent feel. The characters had left and the audience wasn't going to see them again. - bga-c Mar 13, 2008
I think it adds a feeling of premanancy. Like there is no going back now - it's done; they are gone. It is always declared, so there is no hesitancy it the way the people say it. Also, since no one argues it or really replies, it makes it final. They are therefore removed from their lives, and it is decidedly a clean break with those words. The reader doesn't have to debate anything, there is no arguing the new absences. I like how Mmi was talking about a "breath of fresh air," because it was like a lessening of responsibility. - Sha-c Mar 13, 2008
The repetition of "They're Gone" can mean many things. Either they are repeating it to drive home that these people are gone for good and will never come back into their lives or it could be that saying "They're Gone" is actually a way of release. Kinda like saying "Thank God they're gone!" I definently heard that in a couple of the characters when they were saying it that there was an expression of relief yet in others there seemed to be an expression of something closer to regret. This was especially heard when the doctor went away and the neice said that he was gone. From the conversation between Marina and Waffels it is easy to see how they are going to be extremely glad that they are gone and considering that the professor drove Vanya to insanity I definently see how hes going to be happy that they are gone, although he will now just be left to were he was before with no real meaning in life besides the hope for the after life that Sonya gives him at the end. The only person who I could see actually missing someone would be Sonya missing the doctor but even then with her saying that they're gone she is able to move on with her life and not pine after someone who obviously isn't interested in her. Besides that I think that everyone else was just glad to see them go. - DGr-c
I think that when all the characters say "they're gone" they all feel the same way: they are all happy that the Yalena and the professor are gone because life was hard and boring and lacking freedom, but they also miss them because this is all that Sophie and Vanya know. They do not know what it is like to have this independence and although they will enjoy it, they have lived with the professor for so long that they will feel like something is missing in their lives as they continue on in independence. Sophie also will miss the doctor because although she understands that nothing can ever happen between them, I think she was still hoping for a miracle. She was hoping that he would come back for her and by saying "he's gone" she makes it official that everything is over.- mha-c Mar 13, 2008
Those words, "they're gone," may have a lot to do with the changes that just took place. Whenever someone would start off by saying these words, I think everyone else really started to think about what was just said. Once they realized what was going on, they joined in on it. I think it was a reality check. Something clicked in each one of them at different times, but they all came to the conclusion that they were gone. Also, whenever people repeat things or keep telling themselves things, they more than likely do it in order to convince themselves that what is going on, is really going on. They could have been reassuring themselves and eachother. - aja-c Mar 13, 2008
I noticed this line at the end. Every single person would reply "they're gone." Even though they may have heard it earlier, they still felt that it was necessary to reiterate the fact that the guests were gone. I was trying to make sense of this and here is my explanation. This whole experience with the professor, the doctor, Vanya, etc. has been very hectic. Over the course of a few months there has been love, heart break, anger, happiness, sadness, stress, and confusion. Almost every emotion under the sun has been dealt with by these characters. In the end, all of the guests have left and I believe that each time a character exclaimed that "they're gone," they were trying to reassure themselves that they were actually gone. They have seen and talked with this people for a few months and now all of the drama has left. They needed to tell themselves that it is over, they have gone. Perhaps by telling themselves that the guests have gone they feel as though they can return to their lives and continue as before.
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I think the reason for the repetition of this particular line is that they are simply trying to take in the fact that their lives are back on track again, and they are rid of the people that the professor called decay. Also, I think the repetition is simply because they are happy because all they did while the doctor and everyone else was there was argue, lust, get angry, and simply just lose it. "They're gone" serves a similar purpose as the sound of the string breaking in The Cherry Orchard; it represents the end of a time that made little or no sense and caused a general unhappiness. Vanya and his mother represent the serfs that are now moving their way on up, but it was not possible until Alexander and his wife left. When three characters mentioned they were gone, they realized that this could possibly be a new beginning-
These words were very obvious at the end. I think this was one part that was helped by the movie. Seeing it performed rather than reading the play allowed us to see a little deeper into the characters. If this was only written, I might not have picked up on the repetition. We were able to see the emotion, or lack there of, behind the actors when they said these words. I think the point of this was to emphasize the return to their previous lifestyle. However, the reason they said this without any response from others or any excitement behind it was because their previous life was hardly any better. Sure, their life is going back to normal, but as we've seen through the whole movie, that isn't anything they're excited about. -
I definately noticed this and found it quite funny and started laughing (and being disruptive) when they all kept saying "they're gone." I know it wasn't intended to be humorous, but all the repetition was enought to get me laughing and make sarcastic jokes like "Are they gone?" "I can't tell if they are gone yet." "Will someone please let me know if they left yet!" Yea... I think I was just plain disruptive.
All joking aside, I agree with all that was said about returning to the past and the connection to the string breaking, but I also think it was said because there was nothing else to say. All of a sudden things were different with them gone and it was that awkward well-what-do-we-do-now? It's like in a conversation, when the flow gets disruptive or just stops suddenly there's an awkward silence and you (at least I do) end up asking the person how they are doing for about the third time. These characters didn't exactly know what to do or how to react. They didn't even know how to react to what each other was saying. The easiest thing to do was state a fact--They're Gone.
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Well, the point it started getting redundant for me was when Sonya says that the doctor had gone. As the doctor makes the rounds as he is about to leave, Sonya knows that she is going to have to part from him. She handles it better than I thought she would considering how long and with what intensity she obsessed over him. But once he leaves the room before the sleigh bells jingle signaling his departure, all eyes are on Sonya (as the doctor had hurt them both, but more directly Sonya), and she gets up and leaves the room. That time of all times would be the moment to let emotions loose, and one can see the thoughts rising in her mind and realization striking that there in that moment was a crucial opportunity to affect change...and... Lost. He's gone. Same thing happens to Vanya with both the professor and Yelena. Lost opportunity.
MSu says that their statements imply the realization that they can start a new life, but the doctor clearly negates that option when talking to Vanya. "We can not start anew" says the doctor. Why is this? Because of all the lost opportunity? Because they allow the people to leave? They're too nice to stand up for themselves, or perhaps just too weak? -
This part in the movie also greatly bothered me too because it seemed completely redundant. Why did I have to hear that they were gone four times? As I try to think of a reason for this, I am drawing a blank. I really cannot think of a solid reason as to why they would do this. However, it also did bother me about how the doctor says that they cannot start a new life. In response to KLe's questions, I think that their lack of action is the reason they cannot start over. Why didn't Sonya chase after the doctor and stop him? She did leave but came back with no sign of emotion. Where were the emotions in that pivotal scene? The most I got were from the doctor to Yelena. Was this just how they acted it, or was it the way it was supposed to be written? -
Personally, and I might not be the best judge, I did not think that they were very good actors/actresses in the first place. They did not do the whole emotional thing very well. I think that Sophie's crying at the end when everyone was fighting definitely seemed kind of forced. It was like they were doing some kind of soap opera at points, but didn't quite cut it. That sounds harsh, but to give them more credit, I think a lot of it was because they were acting a play that was inside a movie. Because, when I watch a play, I know that they are supposed to be acting very dramatic (loud and over-the-top) to get the idea across to everyone sitting at different places in the audience, but when I watch movies I do not expect them same type of acting. In films, because the camera shows the audience only what they need to see, the acting is far more realistic. I believe that it was the combination of both that made me criticize the acting. Any thoughts on this? -
Cdu, I agree that the woman who played Sophie was a bad actor, but the rest of the actors did a good job. Back to the subject of this forum, the repetition of the statement "They're Gone" was done by Chekov to illustrate that the consequences for the departing to depart were two-fold. As stated earlier, the professor leaving certainly brought some happiness to the characters, specifically Uncle Vanya who received the estate, but now, let us consider the effect of the other characters' departures. Yelena's departure is obviously a major loss for the Doctor, Sophia, and Vanya: Vanya and the Doctor both felt new life in trying to seduce Yelena while Sonya found Yelena to be a caring and trustworthy friend who tried, unsuccessfully, to help Sonya court the Doctor. Furthermore, the departure of the Doctor, at least for the winter, leaves a strain on Sonya, who wanted romance with him. Thus, all in all the departure of these three characters yields an overall depressing ending, signified by the rather toneless statement, "They're Gone" because even though Uncle Vanya got land, he, Sonya, and the Doctor all had their opportunities for romance, their opportunities for truly living, extinguished.-
I actually liked how each of the characters repeated the same lines - I thought it gave great insight to each of the characters' ways of thinking and their emotions. If you payed close attention, you could hear that each character repeated the line in a different tone and with different emotions. For example, it seemed to me that Sonya's reply sounded sad, while Nanny seemed more excited to be rid of them. The same goes for when the doctor left - each person had different emotions at the time.
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This repetition was sort of annoying because you were like OK THEY'RE GONE!!! But actually I agree with MBe that the tone was crucial in the way each character said it. Sonya was saddened that her father and stepmother abannoned her, but almost relieved yet slightly saddened when the Doctor left. Uncle Vanya lost the only real women that actually paid attention to him and made him feel alive, but also at the same time he no longer had to deal with the Professor. The character I believe were mostly bittersweet about the situation. Ones they admired or loved left them, but then again they were able to start fresh after the removal of the Professor, Sonya, and the Doctor. Thus, there is that glimmer of hope that keeps them from breaking down. Why does no one really cry at the two departures? Maybe because no one is truly, deep down sad. Maybe because most of them are actually happy to see the conflicting parties leave. Any comments?
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kva, I agree with you. I was really annoyed by the multiple comments of "They're gone" first of all, but I also agree that they don't seem very truly sad about them leaving. When all those people came to the estate, the lives of Vanya, Sonya, and the nurse/nanny/maid/whatever were totally turned upside down. Chaos became their lives. When they all said "They're gone", it seemed to me to be a breath of fresh air, in a sense. A sort of verbal expression of an internal "sigh of relief". I got the feeling like Chekhov repeated it so many times to emphasize their relief at the parties' departures. Thoughts? Agree? Disagree? -
I think that the repeated "they're gone's" was important to the end of the play--they repeated it because they were reluctant to see the professor and Yelena leave. They didn't want to believe it; it's kind of like pinching yourself to make sure you're not dreaming--I think they kept saying it because they couldn't really believe it was happening and they didn't know how to pick up where they left off. It seemed like they kept saying it to put off that moment when real life begins again. I think the repetition of the phrase is mainly to emphasize the point that everything is over; a comparison was made to the string breaking in The Cherry Orchard, and I find these events to be similar. They both signify the end of something that was special for the family. -
I didn't really see much meaningful significance in this repetition. It just reminded me of other times both in Uncle Vanya and the Cherry Orchard in which characters seemed to state the obvious. This just seems to be part of Chekov's style. He is often criticized for this. The characters just seem to come right our and say what the audience needs to know. Although this made it easier to understand what is going on it is also very unrealistic. I don't think that too many people would continue to repeat the fact that someone has left. It seems pretty obvious. I think that Chekov used the repetition as a signal for the end of the play. It gave the ending a very permanent feel. The characters had left and the audience wasn't going to see them again. -
I think it adds a feeling of premanancy. Like there is no going back now - it's done; they are gone. It is always declared, so there is no hesitancy it the way the people say it. Also, since no one argues it or really replies, it makes it final. They are therefore removed from their lives, and it is decidedly a clean break with those words. The reader doesn't have to debate anything, there is no arguing the new absences. I like how Mmi was talking about a "breath of fresh air," because it was like a lessening of responsibility. -
The repetition of "They're Gone" can mean many things. Either they are repeating it to drive home that these people are gone for good and will never come back into their lives or it could be that saying "They're Gone" is actually a way of release. Kinda like saying "Thank God they're gone!" I definently heard that in a couple of the characters when they were saying it that there was an expression of relief yet in others there seemed to be an expression of something closer to regret. This was especially heard when the doctor went away and the neice said that he was gone. From the conversation between Marina and Waffels it is easy to see how they are going to be extremely glad that they are gone and considering that the professor drove Vanya to insanity I definently see how hes going to be happy that they are gone, although he will now just be left to were he was before with no real meaning in life besides the hope for the after life that Sonya gives him at the end. The only person who I could see actually missing someone would be Sonya missing the doctor but even then with her saying that they're gone she is able to move on with her life and not pine after someone who obviously isn't interested in her. Besides that I think that everyone else was just glad to see them go.
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I think that when all the characters say "they're gone" they all feel the same way: they are all happy that the Yalena and the professor are gone because life was hard and boring and lacking freedom, but they also miss them because this is all that Sophie and Vanya know. They do not know what it is like to have this independence and although they will enjoy it, they have lived with the professor for so long that they will feel like something is missing in their lives as they continue on in independence. Sophie also will miss the doctor because although she understands that nothing can ever happen between them, I think she was still hoping for a miracle. She was hoping that he would come back for her and by saying "he's gone" she makes it official that everything is over.-
Those words, "they're gone," may have a lot to do with the changes that just took place. Whenever someone would start off by saying these words, I think everyone else really started to think about what was just said. Once they realized what was going on, they joined in on it. I think it was a reality check. Something clicked in each one of them at different times, but they all came to the conclusion that they were gone. Also, whenever people repeat things or keep telling themselves things, they more than likely do it in order to convince themselves that what is going on, is really going on. They could have been reassuring themselves and eachother. -